Head of Government Relations
Head of Government Relations at Solcoa — Washington, DC, US
- Company: Solcoa
- Location: Washington, DC, US
- Employment type: Full-time
- Salary: $200,000–$300,000 a year
- Posted: 2026-05-29
About this role
MAKING THE METALS POWERING THE WORLD
Solcoa is building the next generation of American metalmaking, starting with rare earths — the metals of power and motion. We've developed a new chemistry that converts rare earth oxides into high-purity metals — the materials inside every EV, fighter jet, wind turbine, and data center — cleaner, cheaper, and faster than any conventional process. Now we're scaling it to thousands of tonnes of annual production.
THE ROLE
The policy moment for this company is the largest one in a generation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act put roughly $8 billion of capital behind the U.S. critical minerals industrial base — $5B of the new Industrial Base Fund carved out for critical minerals, $2B for the National Defense Stockpile, $500M of OSC credit subsidy translating into billions of loan authority, and $1B of fresh DPA Title III appropriation through FY2027. DFARS 252.225-7052 takes effect on January 1, 2027, banning Chinese rare earth magnets from the U.S. defense supply chain.
Solcoa has to win in this environment. We're hiring a Head of Government Relations to make sure we do. This person will own our entire government-facing surface area, and will report directly to the CEO.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Own Solcoa's federal strategy end-to-end — across the executive branch, the Hill, and the agencies that matter most to the critical minerals industrial base.
- Build and maintain relationships with the policymakers, staffers, and operators whose decisions shape our market.
- Pursue and structure government-backed financing and procurement opportunities as they emerge.
- Track and shape the trade and industrial policy landscape — China export controls, allied-sourcing frameworks, defense supply chain rules — and translate it into commercial advantage for Solcoa.
- Engage at the state and local level where it matters, including California.
- Work with the BD and lobbying team to turn policy momentum into customer wins.
WHAT YOU BRING
We're looking for someone early-to-mid career who has already done real work in this space and is ready to own a function. Specifically:
- 5–10 years in federal policy, lobbying, or government — some combination of executive branch (DoD, DOE, Commerce, USTR, NSC, NEC), the Hill (SASC, HASC, ENR, Natural Resources, Select Committee on China), a top think tank (CSIS, CNAS, SAFE), or a critical-minerals-focused government affairs practice.
- Real working knowledge of DPA Title III, the OSC, DFARS, and how DoD writes critical-minerals contracts. You don't need to have closed one of these deals yourself, but you need to know exactly who to call and what diligence looks like.
- The instinct of a founder, not a staffer. You want to build a function from scratch, not inherit one. You'd rather close a deal than write a memo about closing a deal.
- A strong point of view on China, critical minerals, and the defense industrial base you can defend.
- D.C.-based, with a willingness to travel to our Alameda facility at least monthly.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
- Competitive base salary.
- A meaningful equity package.
- Comprehensive medical, dental and vision insurance.
- Access to an office in DC.
- Visa sponsorship available if needed.
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